Good Corporation, Bad Corporation Corporate Social Organic Food Healthy Alternative or Marketing

Chapter Organic Food Health Benefit or Marketing Ploy ?

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The Organic Trend Consumers all over the world are becoming increasingly health conscious and are more than ever concerned about the quality of their food supply . Food is also crucial cally Forbes magazine estimates that food is the worlds biggest industry , citing 2006 World Bank statistics that indicated that food represented about 10 of global gross domestic product , roughly trillion Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

Good Corporation , Bad Corporation One of the major food choices facing consumers today is whether to buy organic or conventional food . While consumers wishing to buy organic food once had to seek out a specialized health food store or a farmers market , organic food is now a standard offering at major supermarket chains . Today , organic food is the fastest growing segment of the American food industry . Between 1997 and 2010 , US sales of organic food increased from billion to billion , an extraordinary rate By 2011 , organic foods earned over 31 billion in the United States and accounted for about 450 million in exports in are now over organic food producers and processors in the United States , and over worldwide that meet standards . The growth in organic food sales has been so rapid over the past two decades that the phenomenon begs for explanation . Is it just a massive social fad , or does it a profound change in our modern marketplace and in our personal consumption habits ?

Given the importance of food in the global economy , the trend toward organic foods is destined to have a major impact on a wide range of business sectors , including agriculture , food processing , supermarkets and groceries , fast food chains , restaurants , hotels , school and workplace , caterers , and so on . Businesses in each of these sectors will have to make strategic decisions regarding the extent to which they will feature organic food products or related services . In order to make responsible decisions , companies will need to understand the pros and cons of organic food , and especially why consumers are gravitating toward organic options . In fact , consumers who choose organic foods are driven by a number of different motivations and factors . The most common reasons for choosing organic foods are health concerns , including fear of pesticides and illnesses higher nutritional value better taste and environmental sustainability . However , as we will see , there is no clear consensus on the benefits to be derived from organic foods in any of these areas . Regardless of the discussion over the benefits claimed for organic foods , there is no question but that they are more expensive . Organic foods are more costly to produce and as a result the prices to consumers are higher , with some organic options costing twice as much as their conventional counterparts . As a general rule , consumers will not pay higher prices unless they are driven by some clear motivation . As with so many other areas in our society , the access to organic the ability to afford most easily to those with deeper pockets . This creates a dilemma for many businesses faced with a choice between organic and conventional alternatives . If they offer organic food options , they will incur greater costs and have to charge a higher price . Whether or not this is a smart , strategic decision is an issue that every company ( and every consumer ) will have to decide on a basis . In this chapter debate section , we will consider the case of a private hospital deciding whether or not to institute an food service . Many hospitals are already ning to provide some organic and locally produced food . As consumer demand increases for organic food , should hospitals follow this trend ?

The disturbingly high cost of health care is already one of the most contentious issues in American politics today . Should hospitals nonetheless accept the higher costs ( and hospital charges ) associated with organic offerings , so as to model and promote a public health policy related to nutrition ?

Should a hospital devote a greater percentage of its operating budget to providing organic food ?

The more a hospital spends on food , the less it will have available for other important services . Will the health outcomes associated with eating organic food ( even for the short Organic Food Health Benefit or Marketing Ploy ?

Good Corporation , Bad Corporation time of the average hospital stay ) outweigh the potentially higher costs entailed , or are the too uncertain , taking money away from more pressing medical needs ?

In order to answer these questions , we need to have a better understanding of the pros and cons of organic foods , especially relative to health outcomes . Organic farming practices attempt to promote a healthy and sustainable relationship between animals , humans , and the environment . Organic food production is a booming industry , but is it actually healthier , more nutritious food , or is it a successful packaging and marketing strategy with no real value to consumers ?

What Is Organic ?

In general , organic means that food was grown or produced without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers , without ingredients , without chemical food additives or artificial substances , and without irradiation . Meats labeled as organic must come from animals raised without hormones or antibiotics . Processed foods may be lowed to contain a small percentage of ingredients and still be labeled organic ( in the United States , no more than ) Note , however , that organic fruits and vegetables may be grown with a certain usage of natural ( pesticides and natural fertilizers . Animals raised for meat on organic farms may be treated with antibiotics to manage disease . In the United States , the 1990 Organic Foods Production Act ( set the national standards for the meaning , regulation , and certification of organic food . Only farms and facilities that have been inspected and certified by the can claim to be organic and use organic on their labeling and packaging . Other countries around the world have different standards for what it means to be certified organic , which makes the import and export of organic foods . In response to these constraints , the European Union and the United States created a new partnership in organic trade equivalence in 2013 with the objective of allowing organic products to more easily internationally . For most of human history , agriculture was , by default , what we now call organic . Chemical pesticides only came into regular use about 60 years ago , allowing for expanded farming and greater output . Early on , most pesticides used were insecticides , but as potency increased , the amount of insecticides needed began to drop . Now about 70 of pesticides used are herbicides , and most of those are used in the cultivation of corn . Although are used widely across the United States , there is some depending on the current pest infestations and types of crops . As public awareness grew about the potential dangers of chemical pesticides , certain pesticides were banned during the and . Consumers and public health advocates began demanding a return to natural and organic food production . The increased scrutiny led to new restrictions on the toxicity of able pesticide use . Today , chemical pesticides must adhere to health and environmental standards , and chemical companies continue developing new pesticides that may be less harmful to humans and the environment . In addition to organic pesticides , organic farmers battle insect and pest infestation with crop rotation and cover crops . Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

Good Corporation , Bod Corporation Organic Food Evaluated Pros and Cons A poll conducted in 2011 by Reuters found that 58 of American consumers preferred organic The reasons cited by those that preferred organic were support for farmers markets ( 36 ) avoiding toxins ( 34 ) environmental impact ( 17 ) and taste ( 13 ) Let us now examine some of the claimed benefits and alleged disadvantages of organic food and organic farming . Environmental Impact Pro Because organic farming is done without the use of pesticides and chemicals , toxic residues do not poison the land , water , and air . Organic farming is a sustainable use of land and resources . Crop rotation promotes fertile , healthy soil . Pesticide use in conventional farming contaminates runoff water over land , which is a natural part of the water cycle . Pesticide residues are found in ground water , surface water , and rainfall . This means that contamination may not be isolated in food produced with pesticides , but affects the environment as well . Healthy soil is a key component of organic farming . Organic farming seeks to protect and promote biodiversity . Conventional food production often involves thousands of miles of transportation from point of production to the grocery store , using oil and gas that contribute to global warming . Con While one of the ar for or is the absence of chemical , natural pesticides may be used on organic farms , and these may also have potentially harmful effects . Organic plants grown without chemical or natural pesticides or fertilizers may produce naturally occurring pesticides , called , to protect themselves against insect effects of on humans is an ongoing area of research and debate , as those in favor of organics tout their benefits while those skeptical of organics purport their potential health ' Pesticides allow farmers to obtain larger harvests and are therefore an economic asset to food production . Every dollar invested in pesticides results in about four dollars worth of crops produced . Pesticide use makes more economic sense , and provides more food to more ' Organic farming is too costly in terms of its greater use of land and resources . Organic farms are less productive ( 80 in one study ) than conventional farms , and therefore require greater land use . In organic farming , weeds are removed without the use of chemicals . However , mechanical turning soil between crops to reintegrate plant parts and physically removing unwanted actually damage soil structure , remove needed moisture , release carbon into the atmosphere , and lead to increased soil erosion . Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

100 Good Corporation , Bad Corporation ' As organic food carves out a greater share of the market and international markets expand , the carbon footprint of organic food distribution may exceed that of food . Health Impact As often happens when opposing groups look at the same data , they come to different conclusions . In the view of proponents , organic food is much better for your health than conventionally grown alternatives . However , a number of studies , including a controversial published by researchers at Stanford University Medical School in 2012 , no evidence of significant benefits from organic food consumption in terms of health have been no studies following children and adults who consume only organic food , and such studies would actually be rather to conduct . Nonetheless , let us review the arguments put forward by both sides . Pro ' Organic produce has much much as 81 of pesticide residue than conventional food . It also almost never contains pesticides . And while conventional produce can harbor multiple pesticide residues , that is rarely the case with organic ' Evidence suggests that fetuses exposed to pesticides have higher rates of problems and disorders , birth defects , autism , asthma , and lower IQ In one study , children who began a primarily organic diet showed no pesticide exposure after only five days . Switching to an organic diet can thus have immediate and very beneficial advantages . Like fetuses and young children , other segments of the population , especially the elderly and people with degenerative diseases , are particularly vulnerable to the damaging effects of exposure . Another area of pesticide use that can not be overlooked is its impact on the health and safety of who have higher levels of exposure with conventional farming practices than ' Proponents of organic farming maintain that organic food is more nutritious than conventional food . Organic apples , strawberries , grapes , carrots , milk , and grains have been found to have higher levels of vitamin , antioxidants , and phenolic acids as compared to conventional food . On average , organic produce has nutrient levels 12 higher than conventional fruits and ' Organic dairy products and meats contain an optimal balance of and fatty acids . Fats , consumed in the right amount , are crucial to human health . They provide energy , are the building blocks of cell membranes , and can be converted into other essential substances , like hormones , which are necessary for healthy bodily functioning . Diets higher in and lower in fatty acids can lead to a higher incidence of myocardial infarction and heart disease . On the other hand , eating diets with the optimal ratio of and , found in organic food , can decrease the risk of heart ' Organic farming virtually eliminates the consistent use of antibiotics in meat and dairy production , limiting the spread of bacteria into the human population . Conventional meats are 300 more likely than organic to test positive for bacteria resistant to three or more About 70 of given in the United States are used for animals in meat production , not in Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

101 Goad , Bad Cons treating sickness , but to enhance growth and to mitigate the ill effects of Antibiotic resistance makes the treatment of infectious diseases much more to control . The Centers for Disease Control ( lists antibiotic resistance as one of its top production of organic meat therefore has an immense public health benefit . The now and often referenced Stanford study , a and comprehensive review of academic research on organic food and production , found virtually no health benefits associated with consumption of organic ford research reported that organic food had only a 30 lower risk of pesticide residue than conventional food , compared to the 81 lower risk claimed by those in favor of organics . The Stanford study also found no significant differences in the nutritional value of organic versus conventional researchers noted that the risk for the presence of ( a common bacteria ) was about the same in organic and produce . Although they also acknowledged that only five studies have been done , they found that four out of the five studies actually found a slightly higher risk for in their organic samples . Other studies have found that manure , a natural fertilizer , often transfers to soil , plants , and water used in irrigation and cleaning . Even though organic farming requires manure to be before usage and may only be applied to soil not used for growing food for human consumption , may still survive and can live in soil for over 200 days . This means that even if crops are rotated , can remain a threat to a new crop and to human consumers . Actual practices in organic farming differ widely . Although the has tempted to define organic for certification purposes , these regulations nonetheless permit a great deal of variation of production methods in organic farming , just as in conventional food production . Simply having an organic label may not be a guarantee of best practices or of safe and nutritious food . In October 2012 , the American Academy of Pediatrics ( issued their statement about organic food consumption , stating that there simply is not enough evidence to support claims of clear health benefits from an organic diet . While the research that higher levels of pesticide residues and bacteria are found in conventional rather than organic food , they advocated for parents to provide their children with a diet , including a variety of fruits and vegetables , whether organic or not . Hospitals , Health Care , and Organic Food Just as ordinary consumers are showing a steadily increasing market preference for food , medical patients are following suit , expecting and demanding fresher , healthier , organic , and local foods . Many hospitals are beginning to respond to this demand , offering more organic food , hosting farmers markets in their facilities , and providing more about nutrition to patients and medical workers . In addition to patient demand , organizations like the international coalition Health Care without Harm ( have Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

102 Good Corporation , Bad Corporation pushed for changes to provide healthier and more sustainable food options in the care industry as well as education about nutrition . has issued a blueprint for change , including a variety of ways that hospitals can incorporate healthier food in their facilities , ranging from forming food teams and holding conferences to purchasing local organic Traditionally , economic costs and organizational issues have made buying and organic food in hospitals a challenge . Hospitals have their own regulations and standards concerning food and food delivery . For example , some hospitals require potatoes to be delivered already peeled and cut , which lies beyond the production and distribution capabilities of most small organic farms . Hospitals in the United States have predominantly relied on , nationwide food distributors . However , in 2005 , a major purchasing agent for the health care industry , teamed up with United Natural Food , the leading distributor of natural and organic food , to supply healthier food options to hospitals around the country . In the first quarter , United Natural Food earned revenues of about billion , up 22 from the previous year . There are almost registered hospitals in the United States More than hospitals in the United States offer some permutation of organic and local foods to patients and staff Many hospitals already do community outreach , running educational programs targeting nutrition and healthy eating . Some examples of organic food initiatives ported by hospitals today include the following ' Catholic Healthcare West , a health system with 42 acute care facilities in three states , has developed an educational program about the relationship between food production and ecology , and no longer purchases dairy products containing the hormone ' Kaiser hosts farmers markets in 25 of its medical buildings around the country and serves local and organic produce according to seasonal availability . To balance cost concerns , Kaiser has made changes in some of its traditional food service , including eliminating dessert from patient meals and replacing it with ' Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz , California , buys organic food from a local farm and has created its own vegetable ' Good Shepherd Medical Center in , Oregon , no longer serves deep fried food and is switching to more organic ' hospital in , Minnesota , now provides fair trade coffee , free milk , wild salmon , and local organic ' Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon , New , purchases from a local organic farm and provides an informational card with food served to patients . Food waste is returned to the farm for ' Fletcher Allen Health Care in , Vermont , buys organic eggs and grows vegetables on its rooftop garden . Although food does not make up a large part of a hospital operating budget , food prices continue to rise between and yearly , and with the cost of health care also increasing , every dollar spent must be justified by hospital management . While patient demand may be spurring change , physicians and hospital workers also have a personal stake in the food served in hospital and . Doctors , nurses , and other hospital workers account for most of the food consumed in hospitals . As more research shows links between diet and health outcomes , hospitals have the Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

103 Goad , Bad to model best practices . But that begs the question , what are best practices , and do they imply 100 organic offerings ?

Health care costs are often exorbitant and keeping costs down is a major issue for hospitals operating on a tight budget . Some people argue that food eaten during a brief hospital stay will have negligible effects on patient health outcomes and may simply not be worth the cost . Others , however , suggest that hospitals have a unique and powerful role to play in public health . Case Study Organic Hospital In late January 2014 , the ( fictional ) Lincoln Memorial Hospital of Yonkers is holding its annual strategic retreat for top retreat is held on a Friday and Saturday at the Hotel , a small hotel on the Hudson River . Item on the agenda is a proposal by the hospitals vice president of marketing , Jonah Strong , who has suggested that the hospital move to a 100 organic food policy for patients as a means of distinguishing itself from competitors . Lincoln Memorial is a hospital owned by a large provider , Health , which owns 11 other hospitals in states . management is concerned that profits have been stagnant for the past years at Lincoln Memorial and has informed Lincoln CEO , Sandra Maxwell that the company would like to see a return to to growth per year . Maxwell is prodding her executive staff to come up with new ideas to control costs and increase revenues . Lincoln Memorial is an sized hospital of 575 beds that offers a diverse range of medical services , from emergency care to maternity , pediatrics , cancer treatment , and so forth . Although it is not facing competition from other large hospitals in the area , a new trend toward small local clinics seems to be taking business away from Lincoln . Lincoln is trying to control costs to stay attractive because the average cost of a stay at Lincoln is currently , which puts Lincoln slightly above several other . As a result , Lincoln marketing approach is to vaunt its superior services . This is becoming increasingly hard to do as the main hospital building dates from 1968 and is beginning to need a renovation , which could cost over 10 million . When the idea of the option was put on the table , Maxwell was by the vice president of human resources , Martin Torres , who informed her that the doctors and nurses would insist that food in the hospitals would also be , so that costs could escalate . The Food Services Director , Jennifer Wang , is extremely opposed to the idea . Wang tells Maxwell Do you have any idea how hard it is to source organic food for people per day ?

Our patients and staff are used to eating food like tomatoes and spinach out of season , and thats when organic prices go , sometimes even three times higher than conventional . Right now , the average food cost per patient is running at 55 a day and we re billing them 125 just for food . If we have to go to 100 organic , my costs are going to go up at least 20 and we have to pass that on , it could add 50 per day to the cost of a hospital stay . Patients are already disturbed by the current cost per day , if this is what pushes us over the threshold , I afraid you get sticker shock . On the other side , Jonah Strong , the marketing vice president , has argued that it would be worth it Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

104 Goad , Bad Have you been to the Whole Foods recently ?

It packed every day , with very long lines , and those people are our customers . They re already voting for organic with their . Organic food consumption is going up 20 per year and now we re ting patients who get very upset if we can tell them if their food has . Theres no way we can keep bringing patients in , with all these new clinics , unless we can distinguish ourselves . If we don jump ahead of the other hospitals and distinguish ourselves first , one of the other hospitals will beat us to the punch . Maxwell asks you to prepare the strongest arguments you can think of , on one side or the other , for presentation at the executive retreat . Topic for Debate Go Organic , or Stay Conventional ?

Affirmative should go to a 100 organic option . Possible Arguments ' It wi allow us to improve the health outcomes of our ' It wil allow us to do public service by performing a leadership role in health ' It wi distinguish us from ' It wi , motivate our employees and show them that we care about them . Negative should not move to a 100 organic option . Possible Arguments ' There is no evidence that organic food consumption has a significant impact on ' It would simply increase our costs , which will render us less ' Our average patient stay is only days and , in that time , the benefit of organic food , if any , would be ' We should care more about cost and health outcomes than about marketing . Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

105 Goad , Bad Readings Lots of Chatter , Anger over Stanford Organic Food Study , Rosie . Lots of Chatter , Anger over Stanford Organic Food Las Angeles Times . September 12 . Michael Pollan Responds to Study Finding No Significant Health Benefit to Organic Food Brooks , on . Michael Pollan Responds to Study Finding No Health Benefit to Organic News Fix ( blog ) News . September , You may have heard the story this morning about the from Stanford University , published in the Annals of Internal Medicine , which found no health benefit to organic food . As physician , the study , told Science Amy today , when it comes to healthfulness , there is , in general , not a robust evidence base for the difference between organic and conventional foods . Huh . A 2010 study found 76 percent of respondents bought organic because they thought it was healthier . So this seemed to merit a call to the person who convinced me in the first place that it was okay to pay for a head of local journalist , professor , and food advocate Michael Pollan , whose book The Omnivore Dilemma was a major in organic and locally produced food . JON BROOKS So is this a big deal ?

MICHAEL POLLAN not sure it a big deal . The media playing it as if there were something new here , but this is not new research , it a a review of conducted research , and Ve seen the exact same data analyzed in a very different direction . A lot of it depends on how you manage your assumptions and statistical method . I think were kind of erecting a straw man and then knocking it down , the straw man being that the whole point of organic food is that it more nutritious . The whole point of organic food is that it more environmentally sustainable which has a lot more to do with how the soil is managed and the exposure to pesticides , not just in the eater diet but to the . JON BROOKS Lets say you re a consumer standing there at your grocery store and you have a choice between an organically grown piece of produce grown far away and a conventionally grown piece grown locally . All things considered , which is the best choice ?

MICHAEL POLLAN It depends on your values . If you re concerned about value and taste , you might find that the local food , which is more likely to have been picked when it was ripe , is better . Because any food that traveled a few days to get to you or been refrigerated for a long time is going to have diminished nutritional value . That argues for fresh being more important than organic . Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

106 Goad , Bad But if you re concerned about say you re pregnant or have young kids you re you might choose organic , because it will have on balance fewer residues . You may also be concerned with the welfare of the people picking and the farmers growing your produce , or you may be concerned about soil would argue for organic too I tend to favor local food , whether it certified organic or not . Most of the local food available to us in the Bay Area , though , tends to be grown organically , even if it not certified . So it is possible to have it both ways . If you re shopping at your farmers market , you re getting food that very fresh , probably very nutritious , and probably grown without synthetic pesticides . 101 Organic Farming Conventional Agriculture Wilcox , Christie . 101 Organic Farming Conventional Science ' blog ) American . July 18 , The Benefits of Organic Less , Manuel . The of Organic Living ( blog ) Part . 12 , have people who swear by organics and others who feel the whole movement is often I hear that the organic movement is just a scheme to charge more at the whole organic concept has complicated our already relationship with food . I don write this article to fan the of the argument . Certainly , I understand that emotions on both sides run high . What I have learned that valuable to everyone , I think , is that there exists a middle ground between pesticide crops and certified organics that is , fruits and vegetables that are seasonal , and locally grown by farmers . There is such a thing as clean crop that is 100 percent natural in terms of no pesticides , but still absent an organic label . This comes as a surprise to many as we seem to think now that everything not marked organic is chemically tainted . Finding is a great way to spend less money and enjoy natural only you consider it that you have to eat ally , meaning you have to stop expecting ripe tomatoes and avocados in February in many parts of the country Farmers markets provide a great opportunity to learn exactly how and where your food is produced and to sample items prior to purchasing . This option will also reduce cost , as well as be . Regardless of the kind of produce you buy , please buy it . I believe the benefits that come from consuming fruits and vegetables will outweigh the hazards of conventional farming . Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

107 Goad Corporation , Bad Corporation Synthesis Questions . Does this chapter increase or decrease your motivation to consume organic food products ?

Explain why . What is a more important your consuming organic food a ) that it is better for your health , or ) that it is better for the environment and for ?

Explain . Let us say that , instead of a hospital as our case study example , we had used the example of a wealthy private school for students . Would the argument be stronger or weaker for adopting organic food in the cafeteria of the school ?

Why ?

Sarah Murray , The World Biggest , Magazine , November 15 , 2007 , Crystal , et , Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier than Conventional Alternatives ?

ay , 157 ( 2012 ) Scott , Organic Foods Have Broad Appeal , But Costs Temper Demand , July 20 , 2011 , Burke , Maria . Don Worry , It Organic . 2004 ) Royal Society of Chemistry . Paul , et , Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming . Science ( 2002 ) Charles . Initial Reflections on the Annals of Internal Medicine Paper Are Organic Foods Safer and Healthier than Conventional Alternatives ?

A Systematic Response . Few Recommendations to FDA Regarding Use of Antibiotics in Food Animal Production . The Pew Charitable Trusts , 22 level . Larry Cohen et , Cultivating Common Ground Linking Health and Sustainable ture ( Oakland , CA Prevention Institute , September , 2004 ) Common . Fast Facts on US Hospitals . Fast Facts on US Hospitals . American Hospital Association , The author wishes to acknowledge the invaluable research assistance of Vanessa in the preparation of this chapter . Organic Food Health or Marketing Ploy ?

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